Lure retrievers have been available for many years and to this end, there is a panoply of various devices specifically for retrieving snagged or lodged lures.
Typical of the prior art known is U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,066, issued Jan. 8, 1980 to Harmon. Reference provides a body with the convention retrieval line. The body is adapted to be guided to the point of the snagged lure at which point, the device frees the snagged lure. The Harmon arrangement employs a self-contained propulsion system on the body for propelling the body to the snagged lure. This is a useful arrangement, however, it would appear that the Harmon arrangement is limited in that it may not function adequately in situations where there is a high current as this may impair the propulsion system or otherwise render ineffective the apparatus.
Turning to U.S. Pat. No. 2,804,712, issued Sep. 3, 1957 to Jackson, Jackson provides an electrically controlled troller. In the arrangement shown, there is provided a submersible unit which is driven by a typically propeller system which is driven by a DC battery system. Even if one were to employ the arrangement illustrated by Jackson as a lure retrieval arrangement, it would appear that this arrangement would be susceptible to inefficiency in a high current situation.
Hendrickson, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,545, issued Feb. 19, 1974, provides a lure retriever which must be slipped over the line and subsequently submerged to the point where the lure is snagged. It would appear that this system operates on a weight concept and, as in the arrangements set forth hereinabove, this arrangement would appear to be limited in situations where high current would be experienced. As an additional disadvantage, the Hendrickson arrangement provides a hook which is retractable about the fishing line and more precisely about the point of connection to the lure to the fishing line. Once this position is reached, the hook is retracted into the body such that the lure is in a frictionally retained relationship with the body. Although this arrangement is useful to a certain degree, it would appear that a potential exists for possible damage to the lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,967, issued to Splawinski, Apr. 13, 1971, provides a fish bait retriever and reel assembly. In the embodiment illustrated by the patentee, a pair of concentric loops are provided with the operation being that the larger loop slips over the top of the lure for eventual contact with the hook portion of the lure. Once this is achieved, a second inwardly disposed loop abuts the hook portion of the lure and then the entire locked arrangement is pulled to the surface thus retrieving the lure and unsnagging the hook portion thereof. The arrangement shown appears to be useful to a certain degree, however, the arrangement appears to be particularly susceptible to difficulties in high current situations. The concentric rings must be separated in order for the device to operate properly and in a high current situation, it would appear that this apparatus may be completely closed therefore ineffective for grasp of the hook portion of the lure. In addition to the foregoing, there would appear to be a potential for lure damage as the loops must slide over the top of the lure which may scratch the finish on the lure, etc.
Additional references which are generally related to this subject matter include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,507,495, 2,828,570, 3,186,121, 4,152,859 and 5,016,385.
In view of what has been previously proposed in the art, it is clear that a need exists for a more effective lure retrieval which is not susceptible to high current conditions nor which operates purely on gravity to arrive to the point of the snagged lure. The present invention is directed to providing an improved arrangement which obviates the limitations in the known art.
It will be understood that where the apparatus is used in water bodies having a significant current or where the water has a higher buoyancy due to salt content, effervescence etc., the apparatus may be made less buoyant by the addition of removable weights or other suitable means.